Which dish to buy?

[duffman]

Hi, I have just bought spiderbox 9000hd combo, and a new dark motor, to replace my old setup, echostar 3600 with actuator motor, the actuator started to slip everytime I change position, and I have to re-adjust it, hence the new motor.

I thought I can get away without replacing the dish but I was told that I can't use the same dish with the new motor.

My question is Can I buy a bracket or something to fit the dark motor to the dish? if not

Which dish to go for, at the moment I have 1.1m, so it will have to be same size may go for 1.2m as 1.1m is hard to find?

Which brand, and at a reasonable price?

please have a look at my pictures this is what I have at the moment.

duffman

[simon 2003]

yea thats a polar mount wont fit a diseqc motor,what sort of dish is it ??think it could be a lenson heath i had a similar one,dont make them anymore though you could have a scout round the net for some sort of bracket or probably easier get a new dish ,i would have just got a new actuator arm as those type mounts/36v motors are far better than any diseqc mount and a 1.2 dish on a diseqc mount in quite an exposed site like yours could be iffy IMHO

[duffman]

Thank you Simon for your reply, so you think it is better to keep my dish,and only replace the actuator and run it through the old echostar, or even as I read somewhere buy a v box to run it?

[jamesjay]

Thats a Triax 110 I have the same, I would get a new actuator and a Gbox and use the Spiderbox via Diseqc 1.2 control to move the dish. Although I have the same dish I have a 36v H to H mount and use it with a Gbox it is fast and accurate.

By the way, have you checked the wires on the back of your Echostar 3600 I had the same and got under-runs and found one of the 4 motor wires was loose which caused under-runs, also have you thought about having a good look at your actuator...it may only need a bit of adjustment and some lubrication, even a new reed switch for it would only cost a couple of £ and save you taking the dish off and you losing all your settings, the dish looks in OK nick to me.

[satpaul]

You will need the original part from the dish that adjusts the elevation to fit the Dark Motor:respect-055:

[Giga]

If it is a metal gear Dark Motor: should be capable of driving Triax TDS-110. Have my TDS-110 on a TM-2600 Super (similar dish motor)
Should be explained in manual how to fit this motor

[duffman]

Thank you jamesjay for your reply, it didn't occur to me to look at the back of the echostar, I will when I get home though, and I will check the actuator as well.

[duffman]

Hi Giga, yes it is metal gear dark motor, so now
1. what is best to fit the new motor or keep the actuator? (I still have the motor, but I can return it)

2. Is it easy to fit the dark motor or you need some brackets and stuff?

[simon 2003]

yea a good dish triax took lenson heath over few years back,i got an 18" new heavy duty superjack actuator for about 40 quid last year,

[duffman]

Thanks satpaul, any photos to see a working setup of a dark motor metal gear and a triax 110.

when I bought the spiderbox, I showed the above photos of my setup to the shop owner and he told me that it is possible to fit the dark motor to my dish, however I spoke to a motorised system fitter and he told me it is impossible to fit the triax to the metal gear dark motor so now I am confused!

[Giga]

Hi Giga, yes it is metal gear dark motor, so now
1. what is best to fit the new motor or keep the actuator? (I still have the motor, but I can return it)

2. Is it easy to fit the dark motor or you need some brackets and stuff?
if you can fix the actuator: do that, some members have done this
no you would only need original brackets from the dish
https://www.satpimps.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=45820&d=1286987661

[Satcat]

I would suggest that you use your new darkmotor on your original dish.
As Satpaul points out, you will have to be able to adjust the elevation of your dish, but that should possible with the the fittings you already have.
Either tighten up the the part that moves now so it doesn't move, may need some sort of strapping just to make sure it's rigid. Or, if you can, fit the part of the bracket that fits to the poll directly to the dish.

[simon 2003]

@satcat yea if he has the original mount no problem ,but i dont think you will get a low enough elevation with that mount as not enough clearence for diseqc motor

[Satcat]

Simon, I would have thought If he just made the brackets rigid and fitted his darkmotor on the poll he would still have enough scope for altering elevation.

[heads_up]

thanks
good thread info found here